Knitting machinery



June 14,v 1938. vw- 0|\1tr|N '2,120,939

KN-ITTING MACHINERY 'Filed/July 19, 1954 ssneets-,sheet 1'A T. CCCC c5. l: .f 7 m wird: .55

June 4,' M238. w,.1.A n oNGTlN KNITTING MAGHINRY Filed July 19, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet L2V E zz Julie 14, 193s. l

w. J. LoNGjnN l 2,120,939

A' KNITTIING MACHINERY Patented June 14, `1938 PNT KNITTING MACHINERY William J. Longtin, Reading, Pa., assigner to Infant Socks Company, Reading, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application July 19, 1934, Serial No. 736,088

V16 Claims.

The invention includes a machine for automatically inserting a rubber yarn into a rib knit fabricso that it' lies between the outside and inside rib Wales in successive courses to the extent desired,

5 the end portions of the rubber yarn being an- The invention is designed particularly for use in a rib machine of the type shown in Larkin Patent 1,841,249 wherein fingers wrapping wale threads about the cylinder needles provide wrap around designs in rib tops for hosiery. The invention however, may also be used in any of the plain rib machines, i. e., those not 'having wrap design forming means.

The invention is designed particularly for providing elasticvgarter sections in rib fabricin garments which will serve the purpose of garters, particularly in childrens or infants hose, though the invention is not'l limited in respect to the particular goods produced. It may also be used in machines making the rib tops of mens half hose.

A preferredI embodiment will be described in which the advantages and objects of the invention will be obvious.

In the drawings: Fig. l is a sectional view of the machine showing the invention in place,

Fig. 2 is arear view of the invention, Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a dissembled view of the main operating parts, Y

Fig'. 5 is a plan view of the invention ln greater detail,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic needle and yarn layf out and l 1 Fig. '1 is a detail of the clamp and cutter.

The machine,` in'lwhich the rubber yarn layying in means has been illustrated, is of the type shown'in said- Larkini patent. In this machine there `is a fixed needle cylinder and a revolving cam box, butL it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this type as it maybe embodied in a machine having fixed needle .cams and f jarevolving needle carrier. The needle cylinder is 8, the revolving cam box 9, the dial I and the I revolving dial cams II. The ,cylinder needles are I2 and the dial needles I3., Associated with f eachlof the cylinder needles I2 is awrap linger I4 adapted to wrap or not to wrap a Wale thread y,about its cylinder needle to form a-design. The mechanism of` the wrap machine lneed not be described in detail since it is'well known and since connection with the accompanying drawings from (ci. sri-9) i reference may be made to the Larkin patent for a ,full description thereof. The rubber yarn, which may be of the type known as Lastex, having the rubber encased in a textile wrapping, is shown at I coming from the cone I6 mounted upon the bracket I'I which is fastened to the part of the machine rotating with the cam box. The yarn I5 passes through the carrier I8 on the arm i9 and, when the device is in idle position as ln Fig. 1, the end portion thereof is held in the clamp and cutter indicated generally at 2li. The arm' I9 is pivoted upon the bracket 2| by means of the shoulder screw 22. Between the arm I9 and the bracket 2l is the slide 23 which moves radially of the cylinder in the horizontal slot 23 cut in the .side face of the bracket 2l and which movement is limited by the slot 25 taking against the shoulder screw 22. The bracket is fastened to the cam box by means of the posts 26, 21 by means of which the bracket may be adjusted vertically. The bracket is fastened to the cam box substantiall'y opposite the main knitting cams. The yarn I5 passes through the adjustable friction disks 28 on the arm 29, fastened in bracket 2l, thus applying sulcient tension to the rubber yarn to place the same under the desired tension so that when the fabric assumes its prescribed diameter after leaving the needles and reducing from a large to its small diameter, the rubber yarn will correspondingly relax to prevent puckering of the fabric. 'I'hus the wales may be drawn closer to each other than in fabric devoid of inlaid elastic'. The spring 30 held in place by a screw, Fig. 1, acts upon the pin 3| in the arm I9 and tends to hold the same in upward. inactiveposition. The slide 23 is held in retracted inactive position against shoulder screw 22 by means of spring 32 stretched between a pin on the slide and a pin in the arm 33, fastened in the bracket 2 I.

In the forward end of the slide 23 is the open end cam slot 34 having the rise 35 and the cut out 36. Into this cam slot 34 ts the pin 31 projecting horizontally from' the movable post 33 which extends vertically through the bracket 2I and through'the cam box 9. Secured to the bottom of the post is the cam 39 which is adapted to raise or net to raise certain cylinderneedles depending upon the vertical position of the post 38 andr the attached cam 39. 'I'hecam 39 is of full normal cam width and the butts of needles I2 are all of the same length. In place of this a socalled thin cam may replace cam 39 to co-act only with several long butt cylinder needles, with which several ofthe regular butt length cylinder needles would be replaced. The cam 39 is seen in dotted line position in Fig. 2, followed by a'cam 40 in the cam' box which acts to withdraw all the needles to a stitch level. The cam 39 when in lowered position allows the cylinder needles to pass thereby in a tuck position, that is, the loops thereon have not passed below the latches. When the cam 39 is raised for a short time, several of.

the needles, passing the cam 39 during the time interval that the same is raised, are raised by the raised cam 39 to a clearing position wherein tl^e loops on these needles will be caused to pass below their latches. This operation will be described in greater detail in connection with Fig. 6 and the operation of the device.

The rear face of the slide 23 has two cam operating surfaces 4| and 42 and the cut out clearance 43, with all of which the cam or bob plate 44 cooperates. Y

Adjustably secured to the side face of the slide 23 by means of screw 45 and pin 46 is cam 41 which acts on finger I9. When the slide 23 and cam 41 move inwardly the end 48 of the cam 41 slides along the cam faces 49 and 50 of the nger I9, thus depressing the saine to feeding position against the pressure of spring 30. It will be seen that the finger is fullydepressed to feeding position (Fig. when the cam 48 has passed the cut out cam face 49 and starts to continue along the at surface 50. Movement of 48 along 50 neither raises nor lowers finger I9 for a purpose to be described.

The upper face of the slide 23 has the notch 5| which cooperates with the latch formed in the offset shaped piece 52 to hold the slide in inward position against spring 32.` The latch 52 is fastened to rocker arm 53 by a pin and screw as in Fig. 4. 'Ihe arm 53 is pivoted on a rod or screw 54 fastened in bracket 2| and is urged by spring 55 in clockwise direction, Fig. 1. Secured to the other end of arm 53 is the head hardened screw 56, adjustably held in position by the set screw 51. When the cam plate 44 engages the head of screw 56, the arm 53 is turned counter-clockwise, Fig. 1, against spring 55 so that latch 52 will release from slot 5| in slide 23 and allow the same to move radially outward under the influence of spring 32.

The clamp and cutter 20 for holding the yarn when the device is inactive is secured to the op, posite face of the bracket 2|. In the slot 58 are the stationary clamp 59, the movable clamp and shear blade 60 and the stationary shear blade 6I. The movable blade 60 cooperates on one rounded face thereof with clamp 59 to hold the yarn and on the other sharpened face with shear 6| to cut the yarn as in the lusual clamp and cutters. The plate 63 and the pin 65 extending through the plate and through holes in blades 59 and 6I and into the bracket 2| hold the same in position.

to any one of the three levels of slide 23 by the A slot 66 in movable blade 60 allows the same usual chain or pattern meanswell known in the art.

rst be described, and thenthe knitting action resulting therefrom will be takenup.

When, during the normal knitting of rib fab'- rlc it is desired to inlay the rubber yarn, the` bob plate 44 is brought tothe level 4| of slide 23 and on the next rotation of the cam box the The mechanical operationcf the ldevice will face 4| engages the cam face 15 of the plate 44 and is forced inwardly against spring 32 until the spring urged latch 52 engages notch 5| and holds the slide in forward position. During the inward movement of the slide, the pin 31 on the post 38 is caused to traverse the cam path 34 in the forward end of the slide and due to the raised part 35 and the cut out -36, the post is given a rapid single reciprocation upwardly and then downwardly again to normal position, carrying cam 39 with it. This upward Ymovement takes place while approximately two or three needles are passing the cam 39: The number of needles depends yupon the shape of cam path 34. Should a thin face cam be used it will raise only the long butt needles. At the same time during the inward movement of the slide, the cam face 48 has engaged the faces 49 and 50 of the finger I9 to depress the same and bring the carrier into feeding position with relation to the needles,'Fig. 5, making the yarn between the carrier and the clamp and cutter tangent to the circle of needles.

Upon continued rotation o f the cam box the cam face 15 of plate 44 engages face 62 of the clamp and cutter to open the same to release the rubber yarnend. This release takesv place after the yarn has been taken and anchored by the cylinder needles and is stretched slightly before release.

The action of latch 52 in holding the slide 23 is such that the arm 53 has turned slightly clockwise, Fig. 1, under the influence of spring 55. This has brought the screw 56 to the position shown in Fig. 5, i. e., outside of the concentric portion 16 of the cam plate 44.

-While the desired number of courses are being knit with the rubber yarn inlaid, the cam plate 44 is moved to an idle level opposite the cut out 43 on the slide. After this when it is desired to remove the rubber yarn from action, the plate 44 is moved to the level of cam face 42 of slide 23. Upon the next rotation of the cam box the face 'I5 of the plate engages screw head 56 to turn the latch 52 counterclockwise to release the slide. The slide thus. released moves outwardly under spring pressure until the face 42 engages and is held by the face 'I6 of the plate. This is a halfway position' of the slide outwardly, but is sufficient to cause the post 38 and cam 39 to be again reciprocated. At this halfway position the cam end 48 of the cam 41 still engages the upper nat face 50 of the finger I9 thus still retaining the.

finger in feeding position. When the face 42 has passed off the face 16, the slide is allowed to move to its full outward position, so that the cam 48 is retracted and the finger I9 allowed to move upwardly under the influence of spring 30.

The yarn thus runs out of the needles into the clamp and cutter, opened by plate 44 inthe continued rotation oi the cam box. The face 62 is of such width as to be engaged by the plate when the latter is in either of its two active positions. When the plate passes, spring 64 causes the clamp and cutter to close, shearing .the end I of the rubber yarn and holding the same in the clamp ready for reintroduction.

. The knitting action will now be described with? l' reference to Fig.'f6. Int'his flgurethelcylinder p needles are represented diagrammatically from a V to inclusive. ff Thefneedles a to 'kf o'n'the right of the line show one step'inthebperation and the needles vy to 1*to the left of.A,-A, show ,Y

a second stepfwhen the needles 'gand h havef- 'f The' rubber yarn is shown at I5 justafter having beenthrown into,

reached the knitting cams.

1 as in said Larkin patent.

action by iinger I9, the end 61 being about to be released by the clamp and cutter 20. On each of the needles a to k to the right of A-A there is a loop or stitch of body yarn and the sudden raising and lowering of cam 39, as explained, has

raised needles g and h so that their loops have `fallen below their latches as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. The-remaining loops' on the remaining needles have remained in tuck position above the latches. At this time the rubber yarn, having been lowered into feeding position, lies tangent to the circle of needles and is taken by the needles starting with needle g which is higher than needle l. All the needles thereafter continue to take the yarn I5 and are lowered by the secondary stitch cam d0, However only the two needles g and h will draw loops of yarn I5 through the loops of body yarn then on their shanks, because they alone have cleared their latches. The remaining needles being in tuck position take the yarn i5 and go down with it but do not draw loops thereof, performing -an idle movement. Thus the end portion of the yarn i5 is anchored in the fabric. After the needles have descended as at needle c, they rise again to tuck position and continue in their normal path. Prior to the riseagain, the dial needles It, which have been withdrawn, Fig. 1, at the point where the cylinder needles are drawn down by cam im, may be pushed out, as shown with relation to needle b, to keep the length of yarn I5 down below the dial needles as the cylinder needles rise. This is not absolutely necessary and maybe dispensed with since the rubber yarn, anchored at one end at needles g and h at a low level and extending under tension tothe carrier, will naturally remain around the outside of the circle of needle below the dial needle level. .Y The action of cams 39 and 40 is spaced approximately halfway of the needle circle ahead of the body yarn knit point. Between the two are the usual clearing and pull down cams for making a selvage welt in the usual way without any disturbance thereof bythe yarn inlay device. To the left of line A-A is shown the needle action at the main feed station feeding body yarn $8. Needles k and o have wrap threads 69 and la associated with them for forming a wrap design All the needles are raised to clear their latches at the main feed, as for example needles m and n, and take body yarn lit, drawing loops thereof through the cleared loops on their Shanks as is clearly shown'. The needles g andh having drawn loops l2 of rubber yarn I5 at stitch cam M, clear the same and draw loops of body yarn through` loops 12. The dial needles also draw loops as is shown at ll. It will be seen that the loops I2 anchor the beginning end of the yarn I5, 0n the needles following h, the yarn I5 falls below the latches when the needles are raised and when these needles draw yarn down to form body loops, the yarn I5 is cast off unknit to lie between thecylinder and dial loops, as clearly appears at- -needles m, l, k, 1 and i. This action continues for as many courses as the yarn I 5 is to be inlaid, then when the y/arn is to be withdrawn, the device vis again actuated, as explained, to cause cam 39 to clear two more needles to knit in and anchor the end of the inlay. These latter two needles form stitches, under cam 40, of the rubber yarn in exactly the same manner, and in fact are usually the same two or three needles which were cleared by cam I9 to knit in the beginning .end of the yarn. Once the cleared needles have taken the yarn, and knitted the same, the finger ls thrown out and the clamp and cutter operated to sever and hold the end prior to reintroduction when desired, either in the same or in a subsequent top. l

The fabric structure resulting from this method of operation is shown in application Serial Number. 736,087 filed July 19, 1934, Patent #2,103,625.

It will be seen in Fig. 6 that the wrap threads 69 and 'l0 are in back of the rubber yarn I5 and that, as in needle ic, there is no interference between the wrapping action and the laying in action. At needle k at the time of the wrapping, the yarn l5 is in front of the needle and below the latch, so that when the yarn i5 is cast oi, it is caught between the float of the wrap yarn and the cylinder needle stitches.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a mechanism whereby the rubber yarn` may be inlaid Vfor any desired number of courses in a machine making rib wrap design fabric, with the beginning and the end portions of said yarn anchored in the fabric by interknitting extra single yarn stitches thereof between adjacent body yarn stitches between courses and fora plurality of wales.

Obviously, if the garter section is put in where there' is no wrap design, the process is the same, with the exception of the absence of the wrap or wale threads.

I claim:

l. In a circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial, needles therein, means :for knitting a body yarn upon the said cylinder and dial needles toform tubular rib body fabric having outside and inside wales, mea'ns for incorporating a rubber yarn for one or more courses to lie between the inside and outside Wales, means for applying tension to the rubber yarn, and means to interknit the rubber yarn as single yarn stitches with the body stitches.

2. In a circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial, needles therein,rmeans for knitting a body yarn upon the said cylinder and dial needles to form tubular rib body fabric having outside and inside wales, means for incorporating a rubber yarn for one or more courses to lie between the inside and outside wales, means for applying tension to the rubber yarn, and means to'interknit an end portion of the rubber yarn as single yarn stitches with the body stitches.

3. In a circular rib knitting machine having needles, a main feed, means at said feed for knitting a body yarn upon the said needles to form tubular rib body fabric having outside and inside wales, a second feed, means at said second feed for incorporating a rubber yarn for one or more courses to lie between the inside and outside wales, means for applying tension to the rubber yarn, and means to interknit the rubber yarn as single yarn stitches with the body stitches at said second feed.

4. In a circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial, needles therein, a main feed,

means at said feed forV knitting a body yarn upon the said cylinder and dial needles to form tubular rib body fabric having outside and inside wales, a second feed including cylinder needle clearing means, rubber yarn feeding means, means for applying tension to the rubber yarn, and a. clamp and cutter for said rubber yarn, and means for operating said means at said second feed for incorporating a rubber yarn for one or more courses to lie between the outside and inside wales under tension and to interknitthe rubber yarn as single yarn stitches with the body stitches upon one or more of the cylinder needles.

5; A circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial and needles therein, means forv knitting a body yarn on the said needles to form tubular fabric having outside plain and inside rib wales, means for forming wrap designs in thefabric on the outside wales, means for incorporating a rubber yarn for one or more courses to lie in the fabric between the outside and inside wales, and means for applying tension to the i fabric between the outside and inside wales, and

vso

means for applying tension to the rubber yarn.

'7. A circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial and needles therein, a main feed, means for knitting a body yarn or yarns at the main feed on the said needles ,to form a tubular rib fabric having outside plain and inside rib wales, Wrap ngers individual to the cylinder .needles for forming Wrap designs in the fabric on the outside wales, an au: iliary feed in advance of the main feed, means at said auxiliary feed for applying tension to and feeding a rubber yarn to and around the outside of those cylinder needles extending from the auxiliary feed to the main fe'ed where the cylinder needles in knitting loops of the body yarn or yarns cast oi the rubber yarn unknit to lie luider tension incorporated in and held by the wales of the fabric, without interference with said Wrap nger means.

8. A circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial and needles therein, a main feed, means for knitting a body yarn or yarns at the main feed on the said needles to form a tubular rib fabric having outside plain and inside rib wales, wrap fingers individual to the cylinder needles for forming wrap designs in the fabric on the outside wales, an auxiliary feed in advance of the main feed, means at said auxiliary feed for applying tension to and feeding a rubber yarn to and around the outside of those cylinder needles extending from the auxiliary feed to the main feed where the cylinder needles in knitting loops of the body yarn or yarns cast off the rubber yarn unknit to lie under tension incorporated in and held by the wales of the fabric, without interference with said wrap finger means, and means for knitting the rubber yarn as single yarn stitches upon one or more cylinder needles at the auxiliary feed.I

9. In a circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial and needles therein, a main fee a second feed having a guide for directing ar.' insert rubber thread to the cylinder needles for one or more courses, means for clearing one or more cylinder needles at said second feed to knit only the rubber yarn, a clamp and cutter for the rubber thread, means for causing the guide, the needle clearing means and the clamp and cutter to become operative when the rubber thread is to be inserted and when it is to be withdrawn.

10. In a circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial and needles therein. a main feed, a second feed having a guide arm for directing an insert rubber threadto the cylinder needles, means for clearing one or more cylinder needles at the second feed to knit the rubber thread, a clamp and cutter for the rubber thread, slide means for operating the guide arm and the needle clearing means when the rubber thread is to be inserted, a latch to hold said slide means in operating position for one or more courses, and a cam plate to operate the clamp and cutter and the slide means when the rubber thread is to be inserted and when it is to be withdrawn, the cam plate acting to release the latch and for a short time to hold the slide in halfway retracted position to operate the needle clearing means but not to operate the guide arm.

11. In a circular rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, a main feed for knitting a tubular rib fabric having inside dial and outside cylinder loops, and an auxiliary feed ahead of the main feed, the method of anchoring -a portion of and inlaying a rubberV thread to lie between said cylinder and dial loops for one or more courses in said rib fabric, including the steps of feeding and knitting the portion of the rubber thread on one or more cylinder needles at said auxiliary feed, causing the rubber thread to be fed around the outside of the following cylinder needles below the dial needle level from the auxiliary feed to the main feed as the needles travel relatively toward the main feed and as the needles' knit at the main feed causing the rubber thread to be cast olf unknit to lie between said cylinder and dial loops.

12. In a circular rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, a main feed for knitting a tubular rib fabric having inside dial and outside `cylinder loops, and an auxiliary feed ahead of the main feed, the method of anchoring the end portions of and inlaying a rubber thread to lie between the cylinder and dial loops for one or more courses in said rib fabric, including the steps of feeding and knitting the beginning end portion of the rubber yarn on one or more cylinder needles at said auxiliary feed, causing the rubber thread to be fed around the outside of the following needles from the aux iliary feed to the main feed as the needles travel relatively toward the main feed, causing the needles as they knit at the main feed to cast off the rubber thread unknit to lie between the cylinder and dial loops, continuing the rubber thread feeding for one or more courses, knitting a portion of the rubber thread on one or more cylinder needles at the auxiliary feed, discfntinuing feeding the rubber thread, and conti 4iuing knitting at the main feed.

13. In a circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial; needles therein, means for knitting a body yarn upon the said cylinder and dial needles to form tubular rib body fabric having outside and inside wales, means for incorporating a rubber yarn for one or more courses to lie between the inside and outside wales, and means to interknit the rubber yarn as single yarn stitches with the body stitches.

14. A circular rib knitting machine havingl a cylinder and a dial and needles therein, means for knitting a body yarn on the said needles to form tubular fabric having outside plain and inside rib wales, means for forming wrap designs in the fabric on the outside wales, and means for incorporating a rubber yarn for one or more courses to lie in the fabric between the outside and inside wales.

15. A circular rib knitting machine having a cylinder and a dial and needles therein, means for cylinder and a dial and needles therein, means knitting a body yarn 'on the said needles to form for knitting a body yarn on the said needles to tubular fabric having outside plain and inside rib V,form tubular fabric having -outside plain and inwales, means for forming wrap designs in the 5 side rib wales, means for forming'wrap designs lfabric on the outside wales, means for incorl5 in the fabric onv the outside wales, means for inporating a rubber yarn for one or more courses corporating a rubber yarn for one or more to lie in the fabric between the outside and inside courses to lie in the fabric between the outside Wales, and means to. interknit an end portion of and inside wales, and mieans to interknit an end the rubber yarnl as single yarn stitches with 10 portion of the rubber yarn with the body stitches. the body yarn. 10

I6. A circular rib knitting machine having a WILLIAM J. LONGTIN. 

